


On a Day Like Today

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Episode: s04e01 Mayhem, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 06:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5732920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An episode tag to 4x01.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On a Day Like Today

“Wait, where’s Derek?” Penelope asks as the plane starts to taxi down the runway.  She’s looking around, clearly terrified.  “We can’t leave without him!”

Spencer feels slightly self-conscious as he slips his hand into hers.  They generally avoid showing physical affection towards each other when they’re in a work situation.  While everyone is generally aware of the unorthodox relationship that Spencer, Penelope, and Derek are in, they look the other way.  In return, the three of them don’t act like they’re in a relationship when they’re around the others.  No reason to push the limits.

It’s usually fairly easy- they need to compartmentalize and Spencer is uncomfortable with too many public displays of affection anyway- but sometimes something like Derek almost dying while driving a terrorist’s bomb out of a hospital happens.  If it was just him on the plane, he could decompress silently, but he knows that won’t work for Penelope.  There was a time today when she had been worried about losing both of them, and she had come pretty damn close to losing Derek.

“He’s driving Hotch back to Quantico,” Spencer explains.  “They’ll be back later.”

Looking only slightly reassured, Penelope eases back into her seat.  “He’s okay, right?”

“He will be,” Spencer says quietly, squeezing her hand.

“Why do my boyfriends have to be such damn heroes?” Penelope says.

Spencer wishes that Derek was here; Derek is much better at, well, everything having to do with being in a relationship.  At least, it feels that way sometimes. 

He just shrugs a little.  “It’s the job.”

Penelope sighs and kisses his cheek, nodding.  “I know.  I know.  And I love you both.”

“We both love you, too,” Spencer says.

* * *

 

Derek’s phone vibrates.

“Do you want me to check that?” Hotch asks. 

“No, thanks,” Derek says.  He knows it’s either Spencer or Penelope.  Either way, he doesn’t want Hotch reading it.

“We can pull over,” Hotch says. 

“It’s fine,” Derek says, gripping the wheel a little tighter.

There’s blessed silence for a while, but then his phone buzzes again. 

“Can you pull into the rest stop?  I need to use the bathroom,” Hotch says the next time they see a sign.

“No, you don’t,” Derek says as he drives by the rest stop.

“Morgan-“

“You’re too fastidious not to pee before we got in the car, and we haven’t had anything to drink yet,” Derek says.

“Don’t profile me when I’m trying to help you,” Hotch says. 

“I don’t need your help,” Derek says, jaw set.

“I know that I technically don’t know anything about your relationship with Reid and Garcia, because if I did I would have to tell you to cut it out, but you shouldn’t pull away from the people who care about you,” Hotch says.  “Not when they almost lost you.”

Derek grips the steering wheel tight and keeps driving until they absolutely need to stop for gas.  When Hotch has gone inside to get something to eat, Derek checks his phone.  As expected, he has messages from two different people.

**Baby Girl** : _Missed you on the place :(  Just touched down in VA.  drive safe!  love you, still mad at you._

**Pretty Boy** : _We’re at Garcia’s.  Come by when you get back to Virginia?  We’ve got food._

Derek sighs and fidgets with his phone as he pumps gas.  He appreciates that they’re giving him an out by not crashing at his place, even though that’s normally where they meet up and they both have keys. 

He’ll message them the next time they stop, he decides as he sees Hotch paying for his snacks.  Derek slides his phone back into his pocket.

“Anything important?” Hotch asks as they get back into the car.

“Don’t,” Derek says.  His personal life is strictly off limits.  Especially that part of his personal life.

* * *

 

Derek doesn’t text them back; it makes him feel bad, but they don’t stop until they’re just outside Quantico, so it seems pointless.  He’s already decided to go over there, anyway. 

He unlocks the door to Penelope’s place.  The lights are on, but to his surprise, both his boyfriend and his girlfriend are collapsed on the couch.  They must’ve fallen asleep waiting for him to come home.

Derek checks his phone, surprised that it’s already three in the morning.  Now he feels even worse about not texting them back and about avoiding them on the plane by volunteering to drive Hotch back. 

He considers scooping them both up and taking them to the actual bed, but he’s too tired.  Derek grabs a slice of pizza from the box left on the table and settles on the couch between them. 

There’s not a lot of room, but that’s okay.  Both of them shift and Derek is worried that he’s woken them up, but they just make room for him. 

Spencer’s head nestles against his chest and Penelope drapes an arm over him as they both make sleep noises.  It’s nice to be cuddled up with them both as he eats and it warms him on the inside.  Derek knows he’s damn lucky that the both of them ended up in his life. 

“I love you both,” Derek murmurs, stretching his arms out to pull them close.

It hits him then that he could’ve lost them both.  Usually at least Penelope is safe behind her computers, but the terrorists could’ve gotten at both of them. 

Not to mention that Penelope never would’ve been able to forgive herself if he had gotten hurt or died in that explosion. 

But they’re all okay, thank God.  They’re all together again.  The three of them have each other, and no matter what terrible things he saw yesterday, he’s got the both of them to come home to.

And tomorrow, they’ll get up and do it all again.


End file.
